Is it Chlorophyll or Copper?

May 17, 2026 — Day 54

Sun Outdoors Canyonlands, Moab UT

Sometime during the past Plague week we decided that we’ve spent about a week in Moab and not had a bit of fun! Because of that realization we booked in another week so we could enjoy what Moab has to offer. Today, the 17th, we stepped outside of the first time in days. So what do two people who’ve been sick & stuck inside do? We went to see dinosaur tracks! You may remember from a past blog that we like dinosaur stuff. This will be picture heavy. They’re not in order, mostly, that’s ok because does it really matter? They’re ancient tracks! This will not be on the test.

(We know that joke is getting old. You can apply for a refund by putting your name and address on the back of $20 bill. And yes, we know that joke is old also. You can apply for a refund for that joke by putting your name and address on the back of a $100 bill. Now that’s a new joke!)

You can camp among dinosaur tracks. OK not among them but less than 300 feet away so it’s darned close! There is an awful lot of super cheap and free camping out here. We went to Moab to heal but were booked into an RV park. And, that’s ok because being sick and no power, water or sewer would be miserable! We’ll remember this when we’re back this way. We love boondocking. Usually you’ve no neighbors that you can see (or hear).

The first thing we did was head for the picnic tables for lunch. Surprised? Paul likes ~~lunch~~ food (and frequently). Lunch is tied for breakfast and dinner as his favorite meal.

Now those structures were clearly labeled for campsites 5 & 6, which were vacant. The table by the dinosaur sign wasn’t under a shelter, and we’d be baked by the sun or drowned by the impending rain, so we grabbed a shelter. (susan here: I know, you’re saying “It’s desert! How have you managed to get so much rain!” Unlike Phoenix, high desert does get rain. We’re coming up on the time of year they call “Monsoon” and they’ll get as much as 50% of their yearly rainfall in a couple months). We also grabbed our cameras and binoculars. We saw a Horned Lark! It wasn’t a life bird, but we think it was rare for the area, so reporting is it to Cornell Bird is good science. (We’re not 100% sure it’s rare as today is May 30th. Also? And? We’re still coughing from the virus 20+ days after onset!)

They had these cool steel Silhouette showing burros and cowboys, what fun!

This was our favorite sign. It explains how it happened. It doesn’t explain the green, we think that is either Chlorophyll from the algae or just copper from the rocks. There are layers of rock that have a lot of green in them. Never did met someone who could answer that for us. (susan here: I think it’s the algae based on the description of how the tracks happened. But I could be wrong.)

And now for the dinosaur tracks!

They look like a lot of divots on mud don’t they? We promise you that they are real tracks! There was a boardwalk around much of the site.

This was the first one, a crocodile slide. We thought that was pretty lame then we realized it was actually pretty cool. Paleontologists must have debated this forever.

Paul, “It’s hot, it’s cold.”

We were done with the tracks and headed back. But the road also turned right, back towards Moab. And we wanted to go to City Market (think Market Basket) which was in the same general direction. We have a Jeep, and who wants to do highway when there’s adventure to be had! Lets see where it goes!